Voting 8-6, the Supreme Court (SC) granted on May 11 the quo warranto petition filed by Calida against Sereno.

Duterte said anyone was free to ask any lawmaker if he had pressured them into impeaching Sereno.

Malacañang earlier said Garcia-Sayan has been misinformed when he reportedly said judicial independence in the Philippines is under threat.

“We find it unfortunate that Mr. Diego Garcia-Sayan has been misinformed on the case surrounding the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press statement.

Roque reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte’s “dislike” of former chief justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno is not an attack on the judiciary or an affront to judicial independence.

“It is a reaction to the allegations made by former CJ Sereno against the Chief Executive in many public fora saying the latter is behind her impeachment/quo warranto petition,” he said.

He said Malacañang recognizes the SC’s independence and respects the separation of powers among the three branches of government. (PNA)